One of the significant reasons that people sometimes give to step away from faith, or to not want to enter into faith, is the question of suffering. People look at the suffering in the world and ask; “‘if God is love’, or, ‘if God is good’, why does he allow such suffering?” People may ask this from many perspectives; from personal suffering, to suffering of a close friend or relative, to broad suffering in communities such as drought, oppressive regimes and other causes of suffering. Do you sometimes ask this question yourself: or you may know someone for whom this has turned them away from faith.

Answering this question takes us into our own hearts and the hearts of those who cause suffering – recognizing that suffering is not the will or activity of God – though in the case of Job we can see that God allows suffering to happen. If we take a close look at any suffering in the world we can see that at it’s root is human frailty, either in sin or as a result of sin. And from Job we learn that the evil one is also at work causing and promoting suffering. God’s character is mercy. Mercy mercy mercy. Even on Job, finally, God’s mercy was extraordinary. And his mercy on us too when we get down to it.

How much of both suffering and mercy did it take on God’s part to allow his son to suffer and die for us?   As the word for today says: He suffered death so that he could taste death for everyone through God’s grace.